


All the. All the outs are free.

by MissyUnmasked



Category: Oxenfree, Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Crossover, No beta reader, Who will be possessed by the ghosts?, inspired by achievement haunter, oxenfree is my weakness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-05-24 20:11:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14961380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissyUnmasked/pseuds/MissyUnmasked
Summary: The gang heads out to Camena, Oregon to investigate the ghost story of Edwards Island for the next episode of Achievement Haunter.Two years ago, a group of five arrived on the island. The next morning, only four left. What happened to the one?(COMPLETED)





	1. Chapter 1

“Jack, tell us about where we’re going for this week’s haunted adventure.” Geoff said as the ferry moved across the water.

“Well, right now, we’re on a ferry on the way to Edwards Island.” Jack started, leaning back on the bench. “Two years ago, five kids went to their big senior year end party on the island’s beach. The next morning, only four came back. According to one of the kids, there’s a cave where you will need a handheld radio to see if any of the spirits will talk to you.”

“So, what happened to the one that went missing?” Lindsay asked.

“They say she’s still stuck on the island, living the same night repeatedly. They want to go back and get her, but they’re scared that they’re going to get stuck themselves. They just want their friend back.”

“What can you tell us about the missing one?” Geoff asked.

“Her name is Alex. She arrived at the island with her step-brother, Jonas, to introduce him to her classmates and welcome him to the town. She wasn’t very open to him since her brother passed away about a year prior.”

“What was the brother’s name?”

“His name was Michael.” Michael looked up, now interested in this story. “The two were very close, but he was going away for college and she just wanted to spend more time with him. His girlfriend, Clarissa, was a bit bitter when he died, blaming Alex for it.”

“That’s stupid. It wasn’t her fault. She didn’t cause it.”

“Clarissa used to say she did since Alex asked Michael to go swimming. He drowned that same day.”

The ferry breaks the conversation, giving the warning message to make sure they had all their items before docking at the island. It’s pretty abandoned for a weekend, leaving them plenty of time to investigate the occurrence.

They were going to be stationed in the information center while everyone else explored the island. Everyone had chest mountable and handheld cameras and a belt of equipment to document the night.

“Okay,” Geoff clapped, “Let’s go over stations. Jack and I will remain here to see if we can find any more information on the island, and if we do, we will relay it to you guys.” He pointed to Jeremy and Gavin. “You two will take the beach, see if you can find any clues about what kickstarted the whole thing.” He moved to Michael and Lindsay. “You two will head over to the Adler House. That family basically owned the island, and they are allowing us access to Maggie Adler’s notes and such.” Ryan and Trevor were the last to be assigned. “I want you two to visit Fort Milner. It was the military outpost, see if you can find any history about why it shut down. Any questions?”

“Yeah,” Gavin said, raising his hand. “Why do I have to go to the one place where the most ghost things have happened?”

“Because Jeremy wants to provoke a ghost.” The shorter man nodded.

* * *

Gavin and Jeremy at the Beach

The two walked down the beach and approached the closed-off caves. The gate was opened for them to see if they could find anything. They entered a cave, finding stacks of rocks at the mouth of it.

“Geoff,” Gavin spoke through the walkie-talkie, “you got any notes about why this place is so significant?”

“According to one of the kids we spoke to,” Geoff's voice was a bit garbled, “I believe his name was Ren, if you use the radio in the mouth of the cave, you should be able to tune into some voices. He said there are three stacks. You need to stand in front of each of them until you get a signal.”

“Are you sure we want to do this, Geoff?” Gavin asked, a bit worried. “Do we really want to communicate with spirits hat made a girl disappear?”

“Gavin, bring the radio over here,” Jeremy called out, grabbing his attention away from whatever Geoff’s answer was. He was standing in front of one of the stacks “See if you can find a signal.”

Tacking a gulp of air, he pulled out the old, hand radio as he walked over; switching it on and pulling out the antenna. Stepping up to the pile of rocks, Gavin twisted the dial as Jeremy looked over his forearm. Each of them was waiting to hear something. A light started to flicker from above and the sound of static filled the cavern.

“Please tell me that someone else saw that,” Geoff said as everything stopped. Jeremy slowly nodded their heads. With everyone else spread out across the island, far from this creepy bullshit, he wondered why he was sent to go mess with the ghosts with someone who wanted to fight them.

Steeling himself, Gavin continued to turn the dial and searched for the right signal. He found it again and it was stronger, a voice started to leak through the static. It went quiet after another moment and made Jeremy push him to do it again.

The final signal was the strongest of the three. The light that came through shown brighter than before, revealing the entrance to a subchamber of the cave. Rather than static, a voice called through the radio.

_~HELLO. SLEEPY. TIME. LAD._

“Hello?” Gavin whispered to the radio as everything cut off. He twisted the dial back and forth, trying to get another reaction from the hand-held device…but nothing. Looking over to the sub chamber, he debated with himself before stuffing the radio into his pocket and heading in.

“Where are you going?” Jeremy called from the mouth of the cave. “Did you not see the creepy, flickering light that came from there?” Gavin ignored him and headed in. “Geoff, Gavin’s exploring a cave. Don’t know if we’ll have a signal to you once we go in.”

“What cave? They said the cave collapsed after Alex entered that first time.” Geoff didn’t hear an answer as Jeremy had followed Gavin in. “Jeremy? Gavin? Someone answer me.”

* * *

Lindsay and Michael at the Adler House

“Man, this Adler chick was very obsessed with the history of the island. She’s got a full map in her room.” Lindsay said, searching through Maggie’s old loft room. She set down the papers she was looking at and moved to the photos by the bed. “Hey Michael, did you notice that this lady has no pictures of men in her house?”

“Not all that important right now.” He called from downstairs.

Michael passed the large bookshelves and felt eyes on him. He came to a stop in front of a large mirror. In the mirror, a girl with blue hair stared back at him. He looked behind him, she wasn’t there. The lights flickered until it went dark.

“Lindsay?” He called again, but no answer. The girl continued to stare at him. “What do you want?”

_Just don’t try and influence Michael. He can live his own life._

The lights flickered again, and she was gone.

“Michael,” Lindsay said, startling him. “Are you okay?”

“Ye-yeah. I’m fine.” He stuttered before speaking to his walkie-talkie. “Hey, Geoff. What did the missing girl look like?”

“Uh…” Geoff mumbled as papers rustled in the background. “Orange jacket, teal hair, and brown eyes. Why?”

“I think I just saw her.”

“Where?”

“In the mirror.”

* * *

Ryan and Trevor at Fort Milner

“Didn’t they say that there was, like, an information station on the radio?” Trevor asked as they approached the fort.

“Yeah. I don’t remember what it is though.” Ryan admitted as they arrived. The place was falling apart, it was surprising that the frames were still up. “You’d think that for a military base, it would’ve been constructed just a bit better.”

The two made their way over the bridge before seeing Jeremy run into one of the buildings.

“Jeremy?” Ryan called out, a bit shocked that he was here. “Isn’t he supposed to be at the beach with Gavin?” They chased after him before being locked in the concrete structure. “Geoff?”

“Yessir?” The voice crackled from the comm.

“Where’s Jeremy?”

“Last I heard, he followed Gavin into the caves down by the beach. Jack and I haven’t heard from them since. Why?”

“Because we just saw Jeremy run through Fort Milner.” Trevor joined the conversation. “Gavin’s nowhere in sight.”

“That’s not right,” Jack muttered from his comm. “I’m gonna try and get in contact with Gavin. You guys stay on Jeremy’s tail.”

* * *

Michael and Lindsay at the Adler House

“What do you mean in the mirror?” Geoff asked as Jack talked to Ryan and Trevor.

“I was looking around the house and she was just looking at me in the mirror. Lindsay,” Michael turned to his wife, “you were next to me, did you see her?”

“You were staring at the mirror for nearly five minutes.” She admitted. “I couldn’t get your attention.”

Geoff sighed over the radio, trying to think about what to do.

“Okay,” he said, “just leave the house and head to the beach. We lost communication with Jeremy and Gavin.”

“What?”

“Gavin heard something from the cave down there and went in. Jeremy followed, and we haven’t heard from them since.” He admitted. “Jack’s talking with Ryan and Trevor. They said they saw Jeremy at Fort Milner, and they’re gonna try and tail him to see why he wasn’t with Gavin. Still waiting for more info.”

The duo looked at each other and left the house with their gear in hand. Michael stopped halfway down the dock, holding his arm out in front of Lindsay.

Gavin stood at the end of the dock with a girl with blue hair. Both were surrounded by a black fog with flashes of red. They stayed completely still as garbled words reverberated through the air.

“Gavin?” Michael called, motioning for Lindsay to film with the big camera. She was already recording. “Gavin, that’s Alex that you have with you. Are you two okay?”

Static filled the air before words streamed through it.

_~WE. ARE. THE. SUNKEN._

_~YOUR. FRIEND. IS. OURS._

_~DO. NOT. TRY._

A flash of light blinded everyone, and Gavin and Alex were gone.

“We need to show this to Geoff,” Lindsay said, putting down the camera. “We might be in over our heads.”

* * *

Ryan and Trevor at Fort Milner

“Jeremy!” Ryan called through the complex, his voice echoing. “How could he just disappear into thin air?”

The two moved into a school room, finding a chalkboard covered with a game of hangman and white handprints. Trevor focused his camera on the board, hoping to find any clues about the fort. The screen of his camera went black, but it was recording.

“Uh, Ryan…come here.” The two hunched over the static screen. “Is this happening to yours?” Ryan shook his head as Trevor spun around the room. He settled the camera on a set of desks.

The screen settled, and Gavin was in the frame. He was joined by the missing girl, but neither of them was looking at the camera. The two seemed to be having a conversation and sitting at the desk.

_“So, how long has it been since I’ve entered here?” The girl asked._

_“It was two years when I got here,” Gavin admitted. “I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve entered. What’s it like here?”_

_“It’s okay. They’re really kind when you don’t try and escape.”_

Ryan turned his flashlight to shine on where the girl was sitting, her shadow was cast but the chair was empty.

_“Do you think your friends will figure out what happened?” She asked._

_“Jeremy’s smart. He’ll find a way to send them a message.” Gavin leaned back, showing that he didn’t have his vest on. “I hope they find the messages we left around the island, and you will get to go home.” He got out of his seat and walked to the board, stopping in front of the camera. He waved, and static took over again._

The screen returned to normal and the shadow was gone. The chalkboard was now clear of handprints, and a message was written in Gavin’s handwriting.

 _Ryan, Trevor…_  
Tell Geoff to look up the history of the island. It will help.  
I’m with Alex. We’re both okay.

* * *

Geoff and Jack at the Information Center

“Uh…Geoff?” Jack said, pulling back from the cabinets of the archive. “Jeremy and Gavin took Camera 2, right?”

“Yep,” Geoff answered, flipping through the tour guide of the island.

“Then why is it here in the archive?”

“What?”

Jack walked out of the archive and pulled up a seat to show him. Sure enough, the camera was the same one Jeremy and Gavin took, but it was covered in sand. A sticky note was attached to the screen, saying _play me._ Geoff nodded and watched the video with Jack.

-

_ Playing now… _

_Lead by a flashlight clipped to his vest, Gavin weaved through the cavern, stopping to read the graffiti people left behind before finding the large opening. He looked around before finding a small triangle, floating in the air._

_“Gavin?” The Brit jumped, finding Jeremy standing on his left and shined the flashlight on him. “Why’d you run off?”_

_“Sorry, Jeremy. I thought I heard someone calling for help.” He turned the beam of light to shine on the triangle. It didn’t cast a shadow.  Jeremy explored the clearing, trying to see if there were clues about anything, and was oblivious to the supernatural in the air. “Jeremy, turn the camera to the ceiling.”_

_Following his words, Jeremy turned up and noticed the triangle._

_“What is that?” He asked as the radio started to static again._

_Gavin pulled it out of his belt, starting to move the dial. It was like they were back at the mouth of the cave as the static seemed to communicate with the radio. The triangle grew as the communication continued before opening to what seemed to be the ocean floor and the radio went silent._

_Jeremy’s camera screen started to get covered in static as Gavin stared into the triangle. A girl with blue hair appeared next to Gavin, placing a hand on his shoulder before speaking to the camera…_

_~TELL. YOUR FRIENDS._

_~HE. IS. OURS._

-

Geoff looked up at Jack, worrying about the two boys. The camera was closed and set on the desk as Michael and Lindsay walked in, followed by Ryan and Trevor.

“You need to see this.” Lindsay and Trevor said at the same time, holding out their cameras to the leaders.


	2. Chapter 2

Gavin

He wakes up under the comm tower, a girl looking over him. It was the missing girl.

“Are you okay?” She asked, helping him sit up. She held her hand out to him. “I’m Alex, and how’d you get here?”

“Same way you did.” He pulled out the hand radio. “Except I don’t have my friends to go on this journey with me.”

“Are they okay?” Alex asked, her face full of worry.

“They’re fine. They just want you back and safe.”

The two of them stood up and made their way to Epiphany Fields. Gavin removed his vest and held it in his arms as they walked. Alex looked different from her photo. Her hair was a long, faded teal with brown roots. Her orange jacket wan'st so baggy anymore.

“Does time move here?” He asked.

“Kind of. It’s hard to explain.” She scratched her ear and took her hair out of its ponytail. “It always feels like the same night, but they’re letting me grow as normal. I live at the old Adler house, that’s where we’re headed now.”

“So, you’re not living the same night repeatedly?” He asked.

“Surprisingly no. They just keep me in a perpetual night setting.” She admitted. “They talk to me from time to time, reminding me that I’m stuck here.”

“So, ghosts are real?”

“Yes and no. They’re not ghosts, but spirits trapped in limbo.” They arrived at the Adler house. Alex removed her jacket and placed it on the couch. “They keep me here to have a tie to the real world. I’d rather they keep me than my friends.”

“I have another question.” Alex turned to him, standing in the doorway. “Can we interact with the real world?”

“If you’re lucky.”

* * *

Everyone at the Information Center

Geoff sat back in his chair, having just watched both videos. Worry hung in the air.

“So, we know that they’ve taken Gavin but where’s Jeremy?” He asked, turning to Ryan and Trevor. “You said you saw him at Fort Milner?”

“Yeah.” Trevor nodded. “He ran into the schoolhouse and then that’s when we got the footage. The only other door to get out of the school was blocked. It’s like he barricaded it when exiting.”

“But how did he do it in a span of thirty seconds?” Ryan asked. “Do you think he’s in the same boat as Gavin? That he’s been taken?”

Silence hung in the air as everyone thought, but it was broken by the island’s PA system crackled to life. Static came through, hiding some words in it. It started clearing up and Gavin’s voice came through followed by a female voice.

_“~Gu—Guys. Guys! Can anyone hear me? ---- Are you sure this is gonna work?”_

_“~It’s the best-case scenario. If it does get through, it’ll be over the island’s PA. That’s what happened with Clarissa.”_

_“~Okay. --- If you guys can hear me, I’m with Alex and we’re in the Harden Comm Tower. I repeat we are in the Richard Harden Comm Tower. We found a way to get messages to you guys, but we can’t get out of whatever void the ghosts trapped us in. You guys need to figure it out. --- Alex, do you want to say a few words?”_

_“~Uh, hello. Sorry, haven’t really talked to another your person before your friend showed up. --- Anyway, he told me that you’re in the information center. All I can tell you is that the two of us are searching for more info to help you guys out. We’ve already set clues out for you guys to find. ”_

_“~We’re heading to the Fort Milner next to see if there are any files that were left behind. After that, we’re heading to the Adler House to see if Maggie left behind any journals from the time. --- Time moves differently here. By the time you hear this, we might be back here relaying you another message.”_

_“~Since we don’t know when you’re hearing this, check the display case with under the mural of the building. I’ll be leaving you the Adler letters that explain the whole ordeal. Go through each one and get the truth out. These ghosts want to take your bodies to live the lives taken from them. I will leave you an account of everything I’ve experienced since the first loop as well.”_

_“~Thanks, Alex.”_

_“~Wait. Your friend.”_

_“~Oh yeah. --- Jeremy’s missing. I haven’t seen him since the event in the cave. If you guys see him, be careful. The ghosts may have taken him over as well.”_

The PA crackled off, leaving them in silence once more.

The door creaked open once more and Jeremy walked in, soaking wet and gasping for breath. Lindsay went over and help him stumble in to sit down. He took a moment to catch his breath before looking at everyone. As she helped him, Jack went over to the display case and found the letters she mentioned and started to skim through it.

“Where’s Gavin?” He asked through gasps of breath. They kept looking at him, worried that he’d act out. “What’s wrong?”

“Jeremy,” Jack started, “you need to tell us everything that happened in that cave.”

* * *

Gavin and Alex at Harden Tower

“Do you think they got the last message?” Gavin asked as they made it back into the tower. He shut the door and locked it behind him, not like it would really matter. They were the only two on the island.

“I think they did.” Alex patted him on the shoulder before sitting on the ground. She pulled out a stack of paper and a journal. “Have a seat, I want to finish making notes on the letters before I put them in the case. I’ll tell you more about what happened the first day.”

He sat down on the floor and watched her flip through the pieces of paper. His chest felt tight, making him remove the heavy vest. Setting it to the side, Gavin took out the radio to look at it. It seemed to be mocking him as he tapped a corner against his knee. Alex set down the last letter and opened the journal to tuck them into the back. She sighed.

“What’s in the book?” He asked.

“Oh, uh,” she stuttered, “it’s filled with all of my notes and such about the first night and what’s been happening here. My brain’s been fuzzy ever since I agreed to let them take me instead of Clarissa.” He motioned for her to continue. “After taking Clarissa’s place, I woke up on the ferry heading back to the mainland. Everyone took one last picture together, we talked about prom.” She paused to let out a sad chuckle. “Wow. I didn’t even realize I missed prom or even graduating.”

It was then that Gavin realized something.

“So, they took you to live the lives they lost, but they’re just doing the same thing to you.” He said, looking up at her. She just looked confused. “You’ve been in here two years and you were, what eighteen, when you got stuck? You’re still just a kid.”

Alex made a face as if she had never thought about it before. “You’ve missed two birthdays and some big events. Nothing’s going to get done if they just rob you of your life. You’ve done a lot to deal with these ghosts. Their time has passed, and you need to live your life.” Gavin hoped the ghosts were listening. “I just don’t know what they want with me.”

“You’re not alone there.” She shrugged, tapping the cover of the book. “Do you want to leave a note?”

* * *

Everyone at the Information Center

“I’m telling you,” Jeremy defended. “The last thing I remember is following Gavin into the cave. From there it’s all a blur and then I’m waking up under the waterfall on the other side of the woods.”

“Well that explains why you’re soaking wet,” Jack said, going through the letters. He stopped short when he found a note left by Gavin, choosing to read it instead of listening to Jeremy.

 _I’m going to assume that Jack’s reading this._ Jack chuckled as he continued. _Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I’m okay. Alex has been teaching me all that she knows about the island, but even with her, it’s lonely. I miss you guys. The ghosts haven’t said a word to me since I arrived but have spoken to Alex. They may claim that they have me to use, yet they seem to want nothing to do with me. I think they just brought me in to keep her company. We’re okay. Just figure out the letters. Get them out to the public, bring justice to the restless, and get us home._

Jack tucked the letter back into the journal and turned to the group. Jeremy was wrapped in a hoodie, now only damp from his unexpected soak, clutching a bottle of water. Everyone else was scattered around the room, sadness filled the room.

“Jack, what do you got?” Geoff asked, noticing the journal in his hands.

“It’s the letters Alex said she was gonna leave us.” He answered. “She wants us to get it to the public and make sure those accountable for the sinking are identified.” Flipping to the last letter, he pulled it out to show. “Maggie Adler accidentally intercepted the Kanaloa’s distress signal as a spy/enemy sub, signaling for a defensive attack to happen. For years, people thought the submarine was shot by the enemy when all of it was because of a miscommunication.”

“So, what do we do now?” Michael asked. “Are we just gonna leave Gavin to the mercy of the ghosts?”

“Of course not! We just don’t know if this alone is going to appease the spirits.” He sighed. “I want him back as badly as you do, but we can’t risk it and communicate at the cave again to just get trapped alongside him and Alex.”

“I don’t know about you guys,” Lindsay yawned, feeling the weight of the night catch up, “but I’m going to take a quick nap on the floor. Wake me up when there’s a breakthrough.”

“Let’s all take a nap,” Geoff said, setting an alarm on his phone. “One hour and then we’ll get back to work.” They nodded. “Someone set up a camera to watch us, just in case.”

Everyone settled somewhere on the floor and easily fell asleep. Sadly, none were awake enough to see the main door open.

\--

Gavin and Alex at Harden Tower

“Alex,” Gavin called out, “was this unit always glowing?”

Confused, Alex set down the radio she was fiddling with and got up. Walking over to Gavin, she saw that the receiver station was glowing.

“I think they’re giving us a clue.” She said, starting to gather her things. “During the war, all signals enter through here before being sent to Fort Milner for trainees to decode as practice. Maggie Adler decoded the wrong message in this tower. What if the signal is still being sent? What if that’s the thing keeping the gateway open?”

“Has it really been that simple the whole time?”

“I don’t know, but I think they’re done fighting for control. I think they’re just as done as us.”

“How do you know?”

“How else would our clues and messages be getting to your friends?” She had a point. “Now, let’s go smash some property.”

They made their way down to the main street and into the information center. To Gavin, it was odd to not see any of the equipment there. Alex rummaged through the back room and found a key ring.

With a smile, she ran and grabbed his hand to drag him along. The door was left open, but it's not like anything or anyone would go in. 

-

???

Everyone found themselves on the bed of the ocean floor, staring up at the USS Kanaloa. Alex and Gavin appeared on a boulder just to their right. The black fog was back, but it was dimmer. Figures stood behind them and seemed to push them forward.

_~YOUR. ROLE. IS DONE_

_~THE REST. IS UP. TO THEM._

_~BREAK. THE. SIGNAL._

_~FREE. US. ALL._

They soon found themselves outside of Harden Tower, watching as Gavin scales the roof. Geoff worries for him, hoping that he doesn’t fall. Alex stood on the balcony, getting ready to climb up behind him.

“Be careful!” She called out.

“What do you think I’m doing?” He called back, tapping his foot on the roof to find a steady spot. Once he found one, he placed his hand on the satellite’s wiring and started to yank.

-

Ryan shot up first, sweat dripping from his brow, before relaxing as everyone woke up.

“Did anyone else have a weird dream?” He asked. “Did anyone else see Gavin doing something stupid?”

“Uh, yeah,” Jack said, his head drawn to the main door.

All heads followed his line of sight to see the open door. No one was there, and nothing was out of the ordinary. They got up slowly and carefully just in case something unpleasant was around. Geoff’s phone went off with the alarm, scaring everyone into a fully awake state.

“Goddammit Geoff,” Jeremy said once the alarm was off. Rubbing his face, he looked at everyone and pointed to the door. “Harden Tower?”

They nodded and headed out the door. They weren’t going home without their boy.

-

The group to Harden Tower to find the remains of a broken satellite, but no sign of Gavin or Alex. Trevor climbed the tower, but only found Gavin’s vest in the small room. He walked back with it in his hands.

“Where are they?” Lindsay asked.

“I don’t know,” Geoff answered. “What I do know, is that we’re going to pack up everything and head down to the pier for pick up.”

* * *

Gavin and Alex at Beacon Beach

Using a sledgehammer found in the maintenance shed, they took turns smashing the stacks of rocks in the mouth of the cave before smashing the last one together. They watched the first bits of a sunrise with smiles on their faces.

“You know,” Alex started, “it’s a bit weird to see time moving again.” Sighing, she set down the hammer against the fence as they walked to the coastline. “You think my friends will recognize me?”

“I think so. In fact, I think they’re waiting on the mainland to see if you’ve come back.” Gavin said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Come on, let’s get back into town. I need to greet everyone else.”

Walking back into town, the radio turned back on in Alex’s pocket. They didn’t want to answer it, but this was the true test to see if they were free.

“Hello?” Alex said cautiously as she tuned the radio.

_~THANK YOU. ALEX. AND. GAVIN._

_~WE ARE. HOME._

_~WE ARE. FREE._

_~LIVE. YOUR. LIVES._

And the radio went silent.

They were free. All of them.

Alex pulled him into a tearful hug, she couldn’t believe that she could go home and see her family. Gavin smiled and just held her as she cried. He wanted to as well, but he didn’t suffer as much as she did.

“Come on. It’s time to go home.”

-

Main Street

The gang slowly walked to the pier with all the equipment and their bags. No one really wanted to touch Gavin’s stuff, feeling a sense of sadness by even being near it.

“So, you’re just going to leave without even looking for us?” Gavin’s voice called out into the silent town.

The group turned around to see Gavin and Alex holding the journal she wrote. The two were smiling and moving just as slow towards them. Alex was a bit nervous to meet anyone after being alone for so long, but Gavin assured her it was okay.

Michael dropped his things and ran over to the duo, followed by the rest of the group. He pulled his friend into a tight hug as everyone came to join. Alex stood off to the side and let them enjoy their moment.

“You must be Alex,” Lindsay said carefully to introduce herself. “I’m Lindsay and the weirdo hugging Gavin is my husband Michael.” Alex looked a bit sad at the mention of his name but became happy when Lindsay pulled her into a hug. “You’re going home.”

The ferry horn broke everyone out of their stupor to alert them that it was time to leave. Everyone separated, and Gavin held out his hand for Alex to take. She gently took it and followed the group onto the boat. Settling onto a bench, she laid down and decided to take her own nap. Gavin decided to copy her and take a nap himself.

* * *

Camena Dock

“Do you really think they got her out?” Ren asked from over the phone. “It seemed impossible when we left.”

“There’s no such thing as having no hope,” Jonas answered, hanging up the call. He watched the ferry pull into the dock and five people disembark. “That’s not everyone.” Slowly but surely, a man with shaggy hair came out onto the deck and stretched before turning around. A girl exited the cabin wearing a familiar jacket. “Alex!” With that call, Jonas took off down the dock to meet her in the middle.

Hearing his voice, Alex perked up took off as well. He smiled and moved carefully down the path. He could hear her heavy footfalls echo through the empty bay and her delighted squeal when she met the boy. That must be Jonas, he figured with a smile.

“Look at you!” Jonas said, pulling at her faded blue hair. “You actually aged in the loop?”

“Yeah! Yeah, I did.” She said, tears starting to form. “I missed you. I missed everyone.” Jonas pulled her into another hug, glad to have her home. “Let’s never go back to the island again.”

“Deal.” He laughed.

Gavin approached the siblings, holding out the journal.

“Oh! Jonas, this is Gavin. He helped me figure out how to get out.” She said, taking the journal from him. “Gavin, this is Jonas, my brother.”

“Good to meet you,” Jonas said, shaking his hand. “Thank you for helping her.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m just happy we were able to get her home.” Gavin said. “I’ll leave you two to catch up. Two years are far too long of a gap.” Taking a step away, he patted Alex’s shoulder and moved on. He really needed a good three days sleep.

“Wait! Gavin!” Alex called after him. She ran up and gave him one more hug. “I’m not going to see you again, am I?”

“Now, who said that?” He chuckled, hugging her tight. “Look in the back of your book, and I’m only an email away.”

\--

That episode of Achievement Haunter will remain lost to the archives, indefinitely.

* * *

Three Years Later; Unboxing Stream

“Hey, Gavin!” Ryan called out. “You got a package!”

Gavin walked over and took it from him. Opening it, he found three books. One titled, _Olly Olly,_ another _Oxenfree_ , and the last book is  _All the Outs are free._ Seeing who the author was, he smiled and walked up to the camera. It was very rare he read any letter, but this was special.

“Dear Gavin,” he started, surprising everyone. “Here’s what I did with the journal. Hope you don’t mind that I based a character after you in book three, but they just fit in so perfectly. Sincerely, Alex from Camena, Oregon.” The room went silent as everyone exchanged looks and just smiled, knowing exactly who that was. “Thank you, Alex. I can’t wait to read it.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is the end of All the. All the Outs are Free.
> 
> To clear up anything, the story is not told in a linear fashion. Very rarely will it line up nicely.


End file.
